The banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepaw was part of a government campaign to suppress de resurgence of Theravada Buddhism in Nepaw in de earwy decades of de 20f century. There were two deportations of monks from Kadmandu, in 1926 and 1944.

The exiwed monks were de first group of monks to be seen in Nepaw since de 14f century. They were at de forefront of a movement to revive Theravada Buddhism, which had disappeared from de country more dan five hundred years ago. The tyrannicaw Rana dynasty disapproved of Buddhism and de Newar wanguage. It saw de activities of de monks and deir growing fowwowing as a dreat. When powice harassment and imprisonment faiwed to deter de monks, aww of whom were Newars, dey were deported.

Among de charges made against dem were preaching a new faif, converting Hindus, encouraging women to renounce and dereby undermining famiwy wife and writing books in Newari.[1][2]

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In 1926, five monks awong wif deir Tibetan guru Tsering Norbu were expewwed from de country. These five monks, whose Dharma names were Bauddha Rishi Mahapragya, Mahaviryya, Mahachandra, Mahakhanti and Mahagnana, had been ordained under de Tibetan Buddhist tradition, uh-hah-hah-hah.

The government objected to Mahapragya, who was born a Hindu, converting to Buddhism and de monks making awms rounds in Kadmandu. The powice arrested de monks and jaiwed and qwestioned dem. The case went up to de prime minister, Chandra Shumsher JBR, who ordered deir banishment. They were given a few days to beg for provisions under de condition dat dey return to de powice station to sweep. Then dey were marched to de Indian border under powice escort. The five monks and deir teacher first went to Bodh Gaya, India, from where dey scattered, some of dem going to Burma and Tibet.[3]

The monks went to Kushinagar and den Sarnaf in India. There dey founded Dharmodaya Sabha (Society for de Rise of de Teaching) which worked to promote Buddhism and pubwished rewigious witerature from exiwe. Some of de monks remained in India whiwe oders went to Tibet, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.[6]Bhaju Ratna Kansakar, a Nepawese merchant based in Kawimpong, was one of deir wargest supporters in exiwe.

In 1946, a Sri Lankan goodwiww mission visited Kadmandu and interceded on behawf of de monks. The dewegation emphasized dat Nepaw was de birdpwace of de Buddha, and dat his fowwowers shouwd be free to practice deir faif in de country where he was born, uh-hah-hah-hah. Subseqwentwy, de ban was wifted and de monks returned and devoted demsewves to spreading de faif wif greater energy.[7][8]

In 1951, de Rana regime was ousted by a revowution and democracy estabwished in Nepaw. Wif democracy, overt persecution of Buddhists ended.[9][10]